Friends with Benefits
by ncischick09
Summary: It's good to have friends in low places. Especially after a hard day at work. Episode tag to 9.24


**A/N: So, I know I haven't written anything in quite some time, but RL is rather fickle that way, not to mention the muse-bunnies that have been vacant the last several months. The finale struck me so hard and left so much room for "more," though, that I just finally couldn't resist. I do apologize to everyone following my other multi-chaps. I cannot make any promises regarding Shattering, b/c that whole storyline has exited my head, but I am going to try to pass the summer by watching all my DVDs and so maybe I will update Secret Agents, as a consolation? *offers cookies for not hating***

**DISCLAIMER: Really? Would I be doing this if I did own it? No.**

**ENJOY!**

Tony cracked an eye open and looked toward his front door, having heard it open and slam shut again. He smirked at the intruder and lowered his head gingerly back down onto the pillow he had balled up against the arm of the couch.

"Trust you to break in," he scoffed, amusedly. "I hope you have a really good reason for committing this crime, Agent David." He wagged his eyebrows suggestively, even as his eyelids remained closed.

Ziva paused near the door, and put her hands on her hips. Glancing at the TV and frowning, she limped over to stand near his head.

"Tony." She stared down at him sternly, hands still planted firmly on her hips.

"Yes, Ziva?" Eyes still closed, he only served to infuriate her more with his Cheshire grin.

"Are you alright?" she asked more gently, slowly lowering herself to perch on the edge of the arm chair and glancing again at the TV.

At her change of tone, Tony opened his eyes and glanced around until he found her seated. "Hmm?"

Ziva rose, frustrated, from the chair and began scanning the littered coffee table for the desired object, earning a look of confusion from the man, still sprawled out on the couch. "I did not break in, for the sake of robbing you, if that is what you were implying." Discovering the remote, she immediately raised it to lower the overpowering volume of the television. She sighed, satisfied to be able to hear herself think again, and turned back towards her partner. "I had been knocking on your door for over ten minutes. I became worried when you did not answer. What on earth are you watching so loudly in here?"

Tony gave her a sheepish grin as he hunched his shoulders, then winced and moved to sit up. "Sorry. My ears are still ringing, so I turned up the TV." He squeezed his eyes shut as the vertigo overtook him when he sat upright, but patted the couch for her to sit, nonetheless. "And, for your information, Miss America…I was watching FRIENDS." He opened his eyes inquisitively, noticing that she had not taken his offer for seating. "Why are you giving me that look? Please don't tell me you've never heard of Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe."

Ziva continued to stand over him, probing his face with her searching eyes. "I have heard of the show, yes. What I am wondering is why you are out here, laying on your couch, instead of in your more comfortable bed, and watching a comedy after the day we have all just experienced." And then, as an afterthought, she added, "Now that the mystery of the ear bursting volume has been solved, of course." She smirked at him, trying to soothe away the accusing tone of her previous words.

He leaned back into the couch slowly and rubbed his scratched and bandaged hands over his haggard face before taking a deep breath and sighing, then wincing again. "And, I am wondering what you're doing here, for the same reason. Shouldn't you be at home, resting your leg and cleaning your gun, or, reading some intellectual novel, or taking a bubble bath, or whatever it is you do to take the edge off these days?"

She crossed her arms and huffed a rather indignant and emphatic, "No!" before softening her gaze. "Is that what you are doing out here, Tony? Trying to take the edge off of the day?"

He chuckled mirthlessly, then coughed and squeezed his eyes shut once again. "Yeah." He opened his eyes and tilted his head up to hers, ever so slightly. "It's a pretty funny show; you should watch it, sometime. It's mostly light, ya know? Nothing too heavy, no major plot arcs to follow, or anything like that. Well, at least not in the earlier seasons. It's nice to unwind and laugh. I honestly couldn't concentrate on a movie right now, if I tried." He picked at the bandage on his hand, suddenly avoiding eye contact. "But, laughter, apparently, does not mix well with bruised ribs, so you know…"

Ziva sighed and shifted on her feet. "Well, I am here because Gibbs called. He asked that I check up on you. Why did you not come to the hospital with me, Tony? You are obviously far more injured than you led anyone to believe."

His eyes glazed over as he thought back to that afternoon.

"_Sir," the paramedic addressed him. "We're going to transport her to Bethesda, are you riding along?"_

_Tony looked between the scarred building and his partner on the gurney, sedated with an IV-drip and awaiting transport. "You're sure she's stable? No serious injuries?"_

"_Looks like just some minor lacerations, abrasions, and a broken leg, sir. They gave her some morphine to keep her quiet and still. She was moved from triage to ambulatory, so she's good to go." The EMT reported dutifully, reading the note pinned to her bloody, dirty shirt._

"_I need to stay here and help. But, you make sure she gets the best possible care. And I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm serious; I will hold you personally responsible if she has any complaints." Tony tried to stretch to his full height in an attempt to convey the authority of his words, but the sharp pain in his chest deflated his hot air before it could continue to spew from his uncensored mouth._

"_Sir, I understand your concerns, but this is a pretty big scene, here. I won't even be riding with her." The man laid an understanding hand on Tony's arm. "She'll be in good hands. Promise."_

_The agent looked the man in the eyes gratefully, then approached the side of the gurney and puffed through the pain as he knelt down towards his sleeping partner's face. "They're gonna take you to the hospital, Zi. You've got a broken leg, but you'll be OK. Tim will be there with you. But, right now, I've gotta go help look for…" He swallowed dryly as she stirred, "…survivors." _

_He gasped as she grabbed onto his collar with an amazing force. "Do not come without Gibbs and Abby. Where are they? Where did you say McGee was?" She rubbed her face with her other hand, trying to clear the fog from her mind and staring blankly at the IV that scratched her face instead._

"_I promise." He pried her hand from his shirt and squeezed it, laying it on her stomach, then kissed her lips soundly, but softly. "I love you, Ziva."_

_He sucked in his breath to stand upright again, as she mumbled "What?" Then touched her lips, confusedly._

_He smiled sadly down at her before he turned to go. "Don't worry, sweetheart. You won't remember any of this later. I just…I needed to say it." He walked away as quickly as he could manage with his injuries. He still hadn't seen Gibbs or Abby among the living, or the dead._

Tony snapped back to the present, when he realized that Ziva had been calling his name and waving her hand, worriedly in front of his line of sight.

"Gibbs reported that you have a moderate concussion and several bruised ribs. Is there anything he forgot to mention? Should you have been discharged, at all?" Ziva shifted again on her feet, eyeing her partner closely.

"Oh, look who's talking miss broken leg! Where's your crutches? And how in the hell did you get here, anyway? Please tell me you didn't drive…" He shook his head and clucked his tongue disapprovingly.

She sighed, exasperated at his avoidance, when all she wanted at this point was sleep. "It is a walking cast, Tony. The break was only what the doctors called a hairline fracture. And I did not drive, I took a cab. Is there anything else you would like to know while you attempt to avoid anything I ask you tonight?"

"Yeah, why won't you sit down? You seem awfully averse to my person, considering you broke into my apartment to check on me," he raised his fingers in air quotes.

She smiled down at him, forlornly, and tried to relax her tense neck and shoulders. "The cast makes sitting rather uncomfortable. I would prefer to lie down. And since I will be staying with you tonight, I believe I will do just that. I need to take my pain medication and elevate my leg." She began to limp back towards the door where she had dropped her bag.

Tony got up from the couch on unsteady legs and followed her with his gaze as she moved into the kitchen, presumably for water. He raised his brows towards her form and waited for the dizziness to abate before making his way towards her. "Ziva, you really don't have to stay. I'll be alright. Besides, I'm sure you'd be much more comfortable in your own place. Here, let me get that for you." He reached into the cupboard to retrieve the cup she was unsuccessfully stretching for, wincing as he raised his arm up and blowing out a controlled breath as he filled it with water for her.

"Gibbs asked me to stay. He did not feel you would properly care for yourself, and apparently, he was right. Did they not give you any pain medication, as well? Are you sure you should not still be hospitalized?" She frowned at him and proceeded to swallow down her pills.

He grimaced at her, and shoved his hands into his sweat pants pockets, grunting as the scabs on his hands caught on the material. "Ah, I see. Just following orders like a good little probie. The doctors discharged me all on their own, but I don't want to take the pills. You know how loopy I get, and we ARE still on the lookout for enemy number 1. Gotta be back at work, or, you know, at least available bright and early in the morning." He rocked back and forth on his feet, then thought better of the motion as another wave of lightheadedness overtook him and he stilled, shutting his eyes until it passed.

Ziva watched him with great concern, as she finished taking her meds and refilled her drink. "Tony, even Gibbs is not going to be working tomorrow. Did you not hear the news about Ducky?"

He blinked at her and searched the air in front of him for an answer that would not present itself. He tested his tongue between his teeth and then pressed out an unsure, "Nooooooo….?"

Ziva mumbled something in what Tony presumed was Hebrew under her breath, then reached out a timid hand to touch his chest before looking him in the eyes. "Tony, Ducky had a heart attack in Miami. He has been admitted to the hospital there, and Jimmy and Breena are with him. Jimmy found him unresponsive on the beach and Gibbs is on a flight there, as we speak."

Tony's eyes widened and his mouth gaped open and shut as he tried to process the information and form a coherent thought. Finally, exasperated, he managed a strangled, "What?"

Ziva smoothed his cheek with her hand and clucked at him sympathetically. "I do not know any more than this. But, we have orders from Director Vance to stand down. The FBI and CIA are now officially handling this case. Please, take your pills. You are clearly in pain and quite frankly, even if you were not, you are certainly not in any shape to work tomorrow. And I do not mind staying with you. Please," she tapped his cheek to regain his attention. "Take something for your pain and let us go to bed, yes?" She smiled sweetly at him, silently begging for his cooperation.

He huffed at her and swept his eyes over his counter tops, searching for the orange bottles. "Fine, but don't blame me for whatever may happen. You KNOW how I get." He swallowed several pills from various bottles, using Ziva's water to wash them down. "What time was Gibbs' flight? I mean, when can we call him? And do Abby and McGee know?"

"I do not know the specifics of Gibbs' flight, nor do I think he knew when we spoke, but he said he would call when he arrived and got more information. I honestly do not know if McGee and Abby know, yet, but I would hate to give them more bad news on the phone."

"So, you haven't spoken to anyone since Gibbs?" He ran his hand through his already mussed hair, and shut his eyes, memories flooding his mind. "I haven't seen them since I went looking for you at the hospital. I know they were keeping Tim overnight, and I think Abby was going to stay with him. Honestly, I think she was afraid to be alone. Gibbs had already come and gone, and told them to wait to hear from him."

"Ah, the last I saw anyone was when Gibbs came to tell me that Abby and McGee were only slightly injured, and you were being checked out. Many injured left much waiting today." She tapped his arm lightly and pointed down the hallway with raised brows.

"Yeah, better go get as comfortable as we can before crazy time starts." Tony held out his arm to give Ziva more balance as she wobbled out of the kitchen.

"I seriously doubt that will make your ribs feel very good, but thank you, anyway, Tony. I am going to get ready for bed, if you do not mind. Can you please turn off the television out here, it is still rather loud." At his immediate grousing, she chuckled lightly and amended, "You can always turn it on softer in the bedroom. It is your home, after all."

He yawned and spaced out for a moment, waiting for the pain to subside before coming to with a small smile. "Yeah, you're right, but since you're the guest, whatever you want is whatever you get. I was raised with some semblance of manners, you know. I'm just gonna give Probie and Abby a quick call while you're in the bathroom, ok?"

Ziva smirked knowingly at him. "You are still worried." She patted his arm patronizingly. "You are a good friend, Tony. I am sure they are fine, but I think you should definitely check in on them. I will meet you in the bedroom." And with that, she turned to make her way down the hall with her bag.

Tony shuffled around the living room, turning off the TV, and grabbing two bottles of water from the fridge. He made his way slowly into his room and turned on the television, then muted the sound. He rearranged the blankets on the bed, then fetched some spare pillows from the closet. He sat down on the side and picked up his cell to dial Abby's number when Ziva came ambling into the room.

"Which side do you want, Tony?" Ziva yawned and wobbled on her feet a bit.

"You're the one with the broken leg; you pick which side will be more comfortable for you. Hey Abs, how's everything going? What? No, I know you don't have a broken leg. That was Ziva. Ziva. Zee-vah. Yeah, she's here." Tony scoffed and rolled his eyes at no one in particular. "Yeah, Gibbs told her to come babysit me. How's McGee? Are you still at the hospital?"

Ziva moved to the opposite side of the bed from where Tony was sitting and began to climb in as gently as she could without causing herself pain. The process proved more difficult than she anticipated with only a walking boot. She tried several different angles before sighing and simply dropping down onto the mattress like a dead weight, then yelping and covering her mouth quickly.

Tony jumped off the mattress and rounded on her, holding the phone to his head with his shoulder and rushing around the bed to aid her. "Abby. Pause. Talk to Ziva for a minute while I help her with her leg. She broke it, remember? Yeah. No, they gave her a walking boot. Here, talk to her." Tony handed the phone to an exasperated Ziva and panted and grunted while pulling her casted leg onto the bed as gently as he could.

"Hello, Abby. Yes, we are fine. Yes, we are in pain. No, we will manage. Ouch!" She took a sharp intake of air. "No, it is fine. How are you? How is McGee?" Tony surveyed the situation on the bed, hands on his hips and pursing his lips.

"Move over," he mouthed to her.

Ziva quirked her eyebrow at him and pointed to the other side of the bed.

"Yeah, I don't wanna bump your bum leg in my sleep and make you kill me," he whispered.

Ziva snorted a laugh and began the arduous task of scooting across the bed while keeping her leg straight. "What? No, Abby, I was not laughing at you. No, it isn't funny. You are right. It was Tony's fault. I am sorry."

Tony perked his head up from holding Ziva's leg steady and glared at her. "This isn't exactly painless for me, either, Ziva."

"Abby believes we are being inappropriate," she whispered to him.

"Well, as much as I'd love to be inappropriate with you, Ziva, I honestly hurt far too much to even consider it tonight, maybe next time," he yelled towards the phone.

Ziva punched him playfully on the arm, causing them both to wince at the sudden movement and pressure. Satisfied that she would be comfortable, Tony began the work of elevating Ziva's leg with the pillows he had retrieved from the closet.

"Yes, we heard about Ducky. I know. I know, it is terrible news. Everything will be alright, Abby. It will simply take time. I know. Yes, I was looking forward to cake and dancing and a vacation for all of us, as well. We will do it again some other time. Really? Well, that will be nice. Ok. Yes, I will tell him. Goodnight, Abby. Yes, I love you, too. Bye." Ziva hung up the phone and placed it on the nightstand. She looked over to Tony who had sprawled out on his stomach on the other side of the bed, panting and sweating from the effort of helping her.

She smoothed his hair back with her hand and sunk back into the pillows. "Tony, you did not have to do all of that. I would have managed."

"And you didn't have to come over here tonight, and yet, here we are," he mumbled.

"Yes. Here we are. I do not know if I will be able to sleep. I hate Vicodin. I cannot close my eyes with this," she gestured to her head, "…swirly feeling."

"Loopy, Ziva, not swirly. That's a form of bullying." He mumbled sleepily.

She looked at him, confused. "I will take your word for it. Still." She yawned. "I may end up watching television, after all. Will it bother you?"

"Will what bother me? Oh. No. I sleep with it on all the time. G'head."

She smiled. "Tony? You are starting to slur your speech. How are you feeling?"

Silence.

Ziva made herself as comfortable as possible, slinking further down the mattress so that she was flat, and wincing when she jarred her leg. She pulled the blankets up over them both, and smoothed Tony's hair back again, kissing him tenderly on his temple.

"Tony?" No response. "I love you, too," she whispered. "Goodnight."

**Maybe a follow-up chapter if I have the time, and the bunnies are still being cooperative. It's a long holiday weekend in the States, after all!**


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